The Office of the District Attorney for Los Angeles County announced its intent to vacate the records of 58,000 local citizens with marijuana-related convictions.
In a statement released today, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said: “Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands of disenfranchised people who are receiving this long-needed relief. It clears the path for them to find jobs, housing and other services that previously were denied to them because of unjust cannabis laws.”
Los Angeles officials last year dismissed an estimated 66,000 marijuana-related convictions. The new cases consist of both felony and misdemeanor convictions dating back three decades.
Officials in several other California counties, including Alameda, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Nevada, and Contra Costa have taken similar actions. According to statewide data compiled by California NORML, some 200,000 Californians have had their marijuana-related records expunged in recent months.
California is one of several states that is reviewing and vacating marijuana-specific criminal records. In Illinois, officials have moved to expunge an estimated 500,000 marijuana-related records, and in New Jersey, officials have dismissed over 360,000 cases.
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